Officials: Make safety a priority this Halloween

October 29, 2011

As ghouls and goblins of all shapes and sizes get ready to take to the neighborhoods of Big Spring and Howard County to trick-or-treat Monday, local officials are urging parents and guardians to stick to general safety guidelines to keep children safe.

According to Big Spring Fire Marshal Carl Condray, safety for trick-or-treaters begins with their costumes.

“You want it to be a fantastic costume, but you shouldn’t forget about safety,” said Condray. “One of the most overlooked issues, especially with homemade costumes, is whether or not the costume is flammable. You need to make sure that the costume will not catch fire if the material comes in contact with a flame, even for a very brief period. Keep in mind that your children will be going up on porches with pumpkins that have a lit candle. Children can brush against a pumpkin with long, flowing costumes. Using a non-flammable material is really essential.

“Make absolutely sure that the child can move freely and see well. Remember that children will be climbing steps and walking through yards. Make sure your child can be seen. Select costumes that are bright colored. If that is not possible be sure to decorate the costume with reflective tape or reflective fabric paint. Reflective tape can be incorporated into the costume. For instance, if your child wants to be a witch with a black cape, cut stars out of reflective tape and put them all over the cape. Having an authentic-looking costume is nice, but it's never worth it to sacrifice the safety of our children.”

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